Bible Reading Group
The gospel of Mark
Chapter 11
The triumphal entry (11:1–11)
1 Where are Bethphage, Bethany and the Mount of Olives?
2 Can we find out when this event occurred? (Hint: look in John 12)
3 Why did Jesus need a colt?
4 Was it important that it was a colt that had never been ridden?
5 Why do you think the people let the disciples take the colt once they had said
“the Lord needs it”? Did they know who “the Lord” was?
6 What does “Hosanna” mean?
7 Where in the Old Testament do we find the words that the people shouted when
Jesus was coming on the colt?
8 What may the people have been thinking of when they called out their praises?
9 What do you think the disciples may have been thinking when they witnessed
Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem?
10 Why did Jesus go to the temple and look around?
11 Where do you think Jesus and the disciples stayed in Bethany? Had they visited
anyone there before?
Jesus clears the temple (11:12–19)
12 Why did Jesus look for fruit on the fig-tree when it was the wrong season for
figs?
13 What season was it?
14 Why did Jesus then say “May no-one ever eat fruit from you again”?
15 Should people have been buying and selling in the temple area?
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Bible Reading Group: The gospel of Mark, chapter 11
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16 Why were there money changers?
17 What were the doves for?
18 How do you think those who were buying and selling would have felt when Jesus
came and overturned their business? How would you feel?
19 Where is it written that God’s house will be called a house of prayer for all
nations?
20 Jesus said that they had made God’s house a den of robbers. In what way was
their buying and selling equivalent to robbery?
21 Why did the chief priests and the teachers of the law fear Jesus?
22 Why did Jesus leave Jerusalem each night?
The withered fig-tree (11:20–25)
23 What was the purpose of the miracle of the withering of the fig-tree?
24 Can we throw mountains into the sea?
25 Jesus talks about having faith great enough to throw mountains into the sea?
What point was he trying to make?
26 Can we really have whatever we ask for in prayer?
27 What kind of things can we ask for?
28 How can we believe we have received something before we have received it?
29 Where else does Jesus say that we must forgive others so that we can be forgiven?
The authority of Jesus questioned (11:27–33)
30 When Jesus was asked by what authority he was doing things, why didn’t he
answer directly?
31 Who did give Jesus the authority to do what he did?
32 Was John’s baptism from heaven or from men?
33 How did Jesus make answering this question so difficult?